Planning with the Instructional
Focus Document (IFD) for
Elementary ELAR
Carolyn Johnson and Maria Mata
Educational Consultants
Region 18 Education Service Center
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Balanced Literacy is the
FOUNDATION
for CSCOPE Language Arts
and Reading.
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Balanced Literacy is…
• Characterized by explicit skill instruction and the use of authentic
texts.
• Is a comprehensive literacy approach that reflects a gradual
release of control, whereby responsibility is gradually shifted from
the teacher to the students.
• Organized around observations of the ways children learn to read.
• Children learn to read by seeing others read, having others read
aloud to them, reading with others, and reading by themselves
and to others.
• Thus, a regular part of the daily student experience in a Balanced
Literacy classroom should include reading to children, reading with
children and reading by children.
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
DEMONSTRATION
(Teacher Directed)
SHARED
DEMONSTRATION
(Joint Practice)
Model thinking
Model fluency
Explicit strategy
instruction
I DO
YOU WATCH
GUIDED PRACTICE
(Student Practices Under
Teacher Guidance)
INDEPENDENT
PRACTICE
(Independent Use)
Collaboration
Share Thinking
Scaffolding
Strategy Use
Differentiation
Small Group
Assessment
I DO
YOU HELP
WHOLE GROUP
Application
Transfer of
Learning
YOU DO
I HELP
SMALL GROUPS
YOU DO
I WATCH
INDEPENDENT
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Framework on the IFD
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Rationale and Misconceptions
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Key Academic Vocabulary
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Cognitive Specificity - RIGOR
Be sure to read the Knowledge
and Skills statement, the Student
Expectation, and the SPECIFICITY.
Content Specificity
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Cognitive and Content Implications from the
Student Expectations
• Bloom’s Levels of Cognitive Processing (Remembering,
Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating)
Pay attention to the verbs!
• Concepts – Macro-Concepts (Interpretation, Elements, Connections,
Perceptions, etc.)
FOLDABLE – WE DO
• Content – Micro-Concepts based on Performance Objectives (Plot,
Foreshadowing, Author’s Purpose, Main Idea, Summarizing, etc.)
• Vocabulary (Common Words, Academic Words , and ContentSpecific Words, Unit Terms)
• Instructional Tools (Anchor Charts; Guiding Questions; Read-Alouds;
Word Study; Reading and Writing Notebooks; Graphic Organizers,
Foldables; etc.)
• Resources (Teacher, Campus, District, Professional Development,
etc.)
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Cognitive and Content Specificity from the
Student Expectations
Use
Illustrations
Make Predictions
Foreshadowing
Ask
Literal Questions
Interpretive Questions
Author’s Purpose
Seek
Agree or Disagree
Feeling or Opinion
Background Knowledge
Locate
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
CSCOPE ELAR and SLAR
Balanced Literacy Connections
• IFDs organize the TEKS into instructional
components based on the Balanced Literacy
framework of Word Study, Shared
Reading/Independent Reading, and Writing.
• Your lesson plans should be based on the
Balanced Literacy framework and taught using a
workshop model.
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Word Study Defined
IS…
IS NOT…
• interesting, and often FUN
• a brief part of the ELA/R
curriculum
• active learning
• within student capabilities or
the ZPD
• directly related to reading and
writing
• motivation for students to
learn words and how words
work
• boring a HUGE chunk of the
day
• passive drill
• not just the next skill in the
workbook
• isolated from the act of
reading and writing
• what kids are doing to keep
busy and never transfer to
real application
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Familiar “Word Study” Words
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Making Words
Word Walls
Vocabulary
Phonics
Spelling Patterns
Environmental Print
High Frequency Words
Word meaning
Syllables
Word Sorts
Dictionary Skills
Definitions
Root Words/Suffix/Compound Words
If you…
manipulate it
categorize it or
contextualize it…
then it is WORD STUDY!
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Shared Reading…
• Uses enlarged print or other print that is visually
accessible to all
– Big books
– Projected text
– Multiple copies of passages
brochures, fliers, newspapers etc.)
– Textbooks
(magazines,
• Teacher models reading skills and strategies
– “Think Aloud”/Comprehension TEKS
– Specific and explicit
• Students participate in the practice
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Shared Reading…
It is the familiarity with common
texts that allows for more in
depth and detailed study of
individual elements, skills, and
strategies presented later in
your instruction.
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Independent Reading
Direct, explicit instruction about
reading and what should be taking place
during independent reading time
related to the process of reading.
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
What is Writer’s Workshop?
• Writer’s Workshop is a popular way of
organizing a writing class for one simple
reason: it works better than any other
management system yet devised.
• It works because it is based on the idea that
students learn to write best when they write
frequently, for extended periods of time, and
on topics of their own choosing.
-Steve Peha, Teaching That Makes Sensewww.ttms.org
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Understanding by Design
Well-designed instruction is the result of backward planning.
“Begin with the end in mind.”
1. Identify desired results.
2. Determine acceptable evidence of learning.
3. Plan learning experiences and instruction.
Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Performance Indicators
Look over all of your
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS…
“Begin with the end in mind.”
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
The Importance of
Performance Indicators
Let’s “UNPACK” a performance indicator…
• Underline the process(es),
• Circle the
content/concepts,
• Box the product.
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
3rd Grade
Write a brief expository composition in cursive
writing on a topic of choice making sure to
include facts, details and explanations about
the topic.
PROCESS + CONTENT = PRODUCT
(Activities/Verbs) (Concepts) (Artifact/Demonstration)
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
3rd Grade
Write a brief expository composition in cursive
writing on a topic of choice making sure to
include facts, details and explanations about
the topic.
PROCESS + CONTENT = PRODUCT
(Activities/Verbs) (Concepts) (Artifact/Demonstration)
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
3rd Grade
Write a brief expository composition in cursive
writing on a topic of choice making sure to
include facts, details and explanations about
the topic.
PROCESS + CONTENT = PRODUCT
(Activities/Verbs) (Concepts) (Artifact/Demonstration)
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
3rd Grade
Write a brief expository composition in cursive
writing on a topic of choice making sure to
include facts, details and explanations about
the topic.
PROCESS + CONTENT = PRODUCT
(Activities/Verbs) (Concepts) (Artifact/Demonstration)
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Performance Indicator
WE DO: Let’s look together at a P.I.
(Unpacking)
• Underline the process(es),
circle the
content/concepts,
and box the
product.
th
4
Grade
Select a special tradition celebrated every year
in your family. Use an appropriate expository
text structure and written conventions to
write a composition explaining the tradition.
PROCESS + CONTENT = PRODUCT
(Activities/Verbs) (Concepts) (Artifact/Demonstration)
th
4
Grade
Select a special tradition celebrated every year
in your family. Use an appropriate expository
text structure and written conventions to
write a composition explaining the tradition.
PROCESS + CONTENT = PRODUCT
(Activities) (Concepts) (Artifact or
Demonstration)
th
4
Grade
Select a special tradition celebrated every year
in your family. Use an appropriate expository
text structure and written conventions to
write a composition explaining the tradition.
PROCESS + CONTENT = PRODUCT
(Activities/Verbs) (Concepts) (Artifact/Demonstration)
Performance Indicator
(Unpacking)
YOU DO : In partners choose a PERFORMANCE
INDICATOR.
• Underline the process(es),
circle the
content/concepts,
and box the
product.
Unit Assessments
Begin with the End in Mind
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Alignment of Concepts and Assessment
6 How could you tell that the children might have a problem…
17 How do you think Little Chick…changed as a
result of their adventure?
5 What is the purpose for reading…
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
CSCOPE ELAR and SLAR
Lesson Planning
Your lesson plans should include the following
instructional routines for each of the four
components:
• Mini-Lesson – short focused lessons that introduce
students to skills, strategies and concepts.
• Learning Application – focused opportunity that
supports the understanding and application of the
skills and concepts taught during the mini-lesson.
• Closure – an activity that supports the review and
reflection of skills and concepts taught and applied.
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
“A Teacher’s Guide for English/Spanish
Language Arts and Reading Instruction”
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
“A Teacher’s Guide for English/Spanish
Language Arts and Reading Instruction”
Developed by the Texas Education Service
Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Importance of Differentiated Instruction
When a teacher tries to teach
something to the entire class at the
same time, chances are, one-third
of the kids already know it; onethird will get it and the remaining
third won’t. So two-thirds of the
children are wasting their time.
- Lillian KatzDeveloped by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Guided Reading Allows the Teacher
to:
 Closely match students with appropriate text
 Devote time to each student for re-teaching or
extension.
 Observe the strategies each student uses to gain
meaning from text
 Focus on skills/strategies in a small group setting
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
So you’re saying…
Small group reading instruction is
NOT negotiable in a Tier 1 reading
classroom and should be an integral
element of instruction for ELAR/SLAR
teachers and NOT something we do only
for intervention!
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
• What?
Small Group Instruction
– Teacher working with small flexible groups to differentiate
instruction
– Guided Reading or Skill-Based
• Who and When?
– Determined by students’ needs/assessments
• Smaller groups and more frequent for struggling students
• Flexible schedule determined by the teacher
• Why?
– Supports and scaffolds student learning
– Facilitates differentiated instruction (ELLs, G/T, struggling students etc.)
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Purposeful Practice
While the teacher is working with the small group, the
students are engaged in purposeful practice by
engaging in Work Stations, Literacy Centers, or
Literature Circles.
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)
Ultimately…What does all of this look like?
• Implementation of district curriculum (YAG, VAD, IFD,
Performance Indicators, Cognitive/Content Specificity,
Process + Content + Product)
• Varied Grouping Practices: Whole group, homogeneous
groups, heterogeneous groups, pairs/partners, 1 teacher:
3 students
• Guided Reading Instruction in Small Groups
• Workstations/Literacy Centers/Literature Circles
• Balanced Literacy Components: Word Study, Shared
Reading, Independent Reading, and Writing
• Instructional Routines: Mini-Lesson, Learning
Application, and Closure
Developed by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ( TESCCC)